Islamabad: Key Pakistani figures and representatives from the Kashmir Committee of the Parliament, the Standing Committee on Defence, and the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter have collectively denounced the elections being conducted by India in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, declaring them invalid.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the condemnation came during a joint press conference outside the Parliament House following an emergency meeting. Speakers included Kashmir Committee Chairman Mohammad Qasim Noon, Defence Committee Chairman Sardar Fatehullah MianKhel, APHC-AJK chapter Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, and Mushaal Mullick, wife of Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik.
Chairman Mohammad Qasim Noon highlighted the presence of one million Indian soldiers overseeing what he termed ‘fraud elections’ in the region. He criticized the heavy military presence at polling stations, which are visited by foreign diplomats, and pointed out the suppression of political parties and imprisonment of Hurriyat leaders, arguing that such elections lack credibility. Noon called for a referendum, aligning with international resolutions promised to the people of Kashmir.
He further accused India of altering the demographic balance in occupied Kashmir by settling Hindus from across India and issuing domicile certificates to a large number of them, which he described as lamentable.
During the conference, a joint visit to the Line of Control was announced to express solidarity with the Kashmiris amidst the election period.
Ghulam Muhammad Safi refuted claims by the Modi government that normalcy has returned to the region, noting that the number of Indian soldiers has increased rather than decreased.
Mushaal Mullick accused India of deceiving the international community with these elections and questioned the absence of United Nations election observers and international human rights organizations in the region. She emphasized that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute lies in adhering to United Nations resolutions.
The press conference was also attended by APHC-AJK chapter General Secretary Advocate Parvez Ahmad, former convener Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, and Hurriyat leader Haji Sultan, who supported the views expressed by the speakers.